5 Unexpected Ways to Use Stone Right Now, According to Designers
We found no shortage of out-of-the-box inspiration at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas. From bold splashes of saturated color (like a sumptuous ruby dining room and a sophisticated midnight blue lounge) to earthy spaces inspired by the surrounding Texas landscape, the team of 24 designers infused the previously drab interiors with a lively, convivial spirit. The spotlight-stealing palettes were rivaled, however, by clever applications of graphic stonework. From whimsical, on-trend shapes to an undulating wall installation, the unexpected uses of stone combined form and function into unique looks we can’t wait to replicate. Here, five of our favorite stone features found indoors and out.
5 Creative Ways to Use Stone, According to Designers
A Curvy Caffeine Station
What’s a sanctuary space without an indulgent coffee moment? In PROJECT AZ’s “Southern Sanctuary,” designer Ahmad AbouZanat brought warmth into this meditation area not with a typical material like wood; he instead layered four different slabs of quartz that echo the room’s color palette. “The organic shapes break up the coldness of the material,” he says. A coffee station fits snugly into the arresting vertical installation, which was inspired by the jagged, protruding edges of a mountain face. “I prefer textures over textiles,” says AbouZanat, who chose quartz to contrast the plush lavender carpet.
Sleek Shapes
Mimicking the Serena & Lily wallpaper’s metallic motif, designer Leah Alexander of Beauty Is Abundant fashioned interlaid quartz stars on the flooring to complete her intergalactic vision for this bath. The creativity continues in the shower, where she installed quartz horseshoes into the shower walls that match the wallpaper color.
A Serve-Yourself Beverage Bar
Designer Isabel Ladd centered her foliage-enveloped “kiki” around a custom cocktail table. Inspired by a traditional fire pit, she surrounded an inlaid beverage cooler with flecked black and white quartz. Guests need only reach from their low-slung lounge chairs for a refill of rosé.
An Inviting Island
In the kitchen, designer Christopher Peacock topped twin islands, one intended for prep space and the other for entertaining, with charcoal gray quartz. To distinguish the party-ready island, he punctuated a portion of the matte countertop with a graphic slice of chestnut and black stone as a “subliminal way of saying this is the seating area,” he explains.
A Jewel Box Powder Room
Blaire Murfree of Blaire Designs transformed this petite powder room by wrapping it in Viola marble wainscotting. The stone’s creamy white and deep violet pattern echoes the eggplant and lavender scheme she deployed throughout the adjacent hallway. A boxy sink and tiny tiles incorporated into the limestone floor, both in the vibrant Viola marble, add additional edgy elements that contrast the hallway’s more traditional scheme.
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